The Ongoing Serie A, La Liga, All English Football, Champions League Thread - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Part 38

[chamber-music]

Chelsea are so awful I'm wondering if the players aren't fixing matches. You could probably make big money throwing games in a former title winning team.

 

[DeadPresident]

Yeah, anything but a win against Norwich and I think beady eyes will have to hand LvG his pink slip, the stupid thing was that yesterday he could have avoided any blame by just using Young and keeping Fellaini on, the Powell substitution almost felt like him giving fans the middle finger after the uproar on Tuesday.

Yeah, if Norwich take points off United now it's going to turn the grumbles into shouts. I'm not too bothered by losing to Bournemouth considering three of the back four were youth level players and the other isn't a CB by trade, but a few of the draws earlier in the season are quite confusing. United should have taken 6 points from only two of the 0-0 draws and they'd be looking a lot more solid in terms of league standing.

At this point I think the cheque book needs to be broken out in January, because I can't see LvG salvage anything from this season with what is available at present combined with the obvious drop in team morale. At the very least a naturally left-sided LB is required to make up for the long-term lack of Shaw, but ideally United would be signing about three players.

 

[DeadPresident]

Chelsea's fall from grace is even more spectacular than ours under Moyes & by a significant margin as well. After last season & especially under Mourinho's guidance I was actually preparing myself to accept a period of Chelsea dominance because their team as a whole is a lot of players in their prime.

They've just completely collapsed as a team & as a unit. There's got to be some sort of behind the scenes problems that's contributing to the problems as they just all look so devoid of confidence, mentally weak & in essence a non-Jose Mourinho side.

Jose Mourinho may at times be arrogant & a bit of a tool, but he's right about one thing, I don't think there is another manager available currently in world football that could get Chelsea out of this mess. I'd also be astonished if they managed to turn things around & claim a CL spot. They should be aiming for Europa League positions & FA Cup/League Cup (if they're still in that?) as even claiming a Europa League spot given their league form is going to be tricky given how competitive the Premiership has become in recent years.

Chelsea now are like most of Mourinho's teams, they're mercenaries. None of them apart from Terry now actually has much affection for the club, a fair few will look to jump ship. I think Mourinho used to know how far he could push a team without having them implode, but the second half of last season he pretty much played the same XI six months straight just to win the title. And his behaviour in the press isn't really conducive to getting players in your corner, along with the genuine appearance of a bit of a revolt in the dressing room from some players.

I think Ancelotti would actually be the perfect manager to drag them out of this. Players from all his previous clubs seem incredibly fond of him as a manager and a person, and Chelsea actually have a squad capable of winning the league, their mental game just isn't there. Ancelotti comes across as a guy that'll settle things down a bit and make the egos feel loved again. Mourinho just does more damage each time he does a conference after a poor result, he's had the first half of the season to "turn it around" and the turning hasn't started.

 

[BlackFox]

Chelsea are so awful I'm wondering if the players aren't fixing matches. You could probably make big money throwing games in a former title winning team.

When your earning £300k plus a week how much MORE money do you need.

But then these are footballers, not the sharpest tools in the shed.

 

[Zantera]

I know it won't happen, but the idea of Chelsea with Costa/Hazard/Fabregas in Championship facing off teams like MK Dons and Preston week in and week out is amazing.

 

[Iceman]

03/04
Prem: Third
CL: R16
Fa Cup: Won
League Cup: 4th Round
Shield: Won

04/05
Prem: Third
CL: R16
Fa Cup: Runners up
League Cup: Semis
Shield: Runners up

Fergie's record is crazy if the worst he could manage in all those decades was 3rd in the league, FA Cup winners & runners up and CL last 16!

 

[Kaleb]

@askomartin
Swansea City chairman Huw Jenkins is in Rosario, Argentina to hold talks with Marcelo Bielsa, his No1 choice to succeed Garry Monk

very nice move by Swansea if this happens.

 

[B]

Chelsea now are like most of Mourinho's teams, they're mercenaries. None of them apart from Terry now actually has much affection for the club, a fair few will look to jump ship. I think Mourinho used to know how far he could push a team without having them implode, but the second half of last season he pretty much played the same XI six months straight just to win the title. And his behaviour in the press isn't really conducive to getting players in your corner, along with the genuine appearance of a bit of a revolt in the dressing room from some players.

I think Ancelotti would actually be the perfect manager to drag them out of this. Players from all his previous clubs seem incredibly fond of him as a manager and a person, and Chelsea actually have a squad capable of winning the league, their mental game just isn't there. Ancelotti comes across as a guy that'll settle things down a bit and make the egos feel loved again. Mourinho just does more damage each time he does a conference after a poor result, he's had the first half of the season to "turn it around" and the turning hasn't started.

Ancelotti won't be back in management until the summer at the very earliest, I believe he even reiterated as much when he was contacted about the Liverpool job.

Not to mention, why would he want to return to Chelsea after the way he was treated the first time around? He was sacked after 2 years in the job, winning the title in his 1st year & then finishing 2nd in his 2nd season. Just looking at his statistics now & in his 2 years he had a 61.47% win ratio which is hardly bad nor worthy of the sack. I think he was treated terribly.

 

[Zant]

Its going to be awkward if Manuel wins the PL, FA cup and reach, say the semi finals of the Champions league this season for City. Will the media still aggressively link Guardiola to the City job?

I think its extremely sad that they are doing that already.

 

[DeadPresident]

Ancelotti won't be back in management until the summer at the very earliest, I believe he even reiterated as much when he was contacted about the Liverpool job.

Not to mention, why would he want to return to Chelsea after the way he was treated the first time around? He was sacked after 2 years in the job, winning the title in his 1st year & then finishing 2nd in his 2nd season. Just looking at his statistics now & in his 2 years he had a 61.47% win ratio which is hardly bad nor worthy of the sack. I think he was treated terribly.

I'm not saying it'll happen I'm just saying I think he suits the situation quite well. If I were him I'd probably share your opinion of Chelsea based on how they handled his exit however long ago.

 

[Iceman]

Jose sacked!

 

[TheCommissioner]

just saw that

less than a year after winning the league

kick rocks Jose

 

[BlackFox]

The Special One not so special any more.

Wonder if Chelsea are trying to get Pep in line so have got rid early, guess they will get Big Sam in for the rest of this season to keep them up, Lol.

 

[Grommers]

I'm thinking this is a smart move, this will let them at least be able to put in a bid for Pep, if mourinho turned it around they'd have no option but to keep him, now they can put in a bid for Pep no problem, and compete with the likes of Man City for his signature, as I highly doubt he will be going to man united.

 

[TheCommissioner]

well the Mancs seem to think Pep is headed to Old Trafford sooner rather than later

 

[the_ultimate_evil]

So joses gone and pep is about to leave Bayern yeah not a great time to be a United fan

 

[Grommers]

I'd really like to see Ancellotti at Man united, he gets his team scoring lots of goals, and theres more than enough fire power in man united's squad in my opinion, just needs a different style of play.

 

[Zantera]

I'd really like to see Ancellotti at Man united, he gets his team scoring lots of goals, and theres more than enough fire power in man united's squad in my opinion, just needs a different style of play.

I agree about Ancelotti, and I don't want Pep at all. Sure, he's a great manager, but he also said "If possible I would want my team to have 100% of the possession", and that's really not all that different from LvG. Sure, Pep would probably be a step up, but I'd rather take a more "direct" coach. Ancelotti would be my top pick, but in the long run we will have to get someone younger, maybe Giggs will be ready to take over in 3-4 years if he gets a few more to study.

 

[TheCommissioner]

Pep leaving Bayern Munich after this season, expected to be announced at the end of this week

 

[DeadPresident]

Murmurs are popping up about Mourinho possibly bring approached by Madrid...again

 

[Loden Greatstorm]

I have a strange feeling Pep winds up at United.

 

[DeadPresident]

I have a strange feeling Pep winds up at United.

My feeling is going the opposite way but I'm praying it does happen. If City get Pep and he brings his staff they'll clean up with the squad they've got, at least domestically.

 

[the_ultimate_evil]

I'm hoping for pep at United but I don't see it. It's just too hard to see he's leaving at the end of the season and I really don't think united will sack lvg and they'd have to because you know he would never resign


But hypothetical question would any United fan take this scenario. In the next week Manchester United sack lvg and announce they have appointed Jose as interm with control over the January transfer window and possible future employment

 

[Fallen Angel]

Couldn't have happened to a nicer bloke. Good riddance you bad,bad meff. Apparently got sacked in a 10 minute board meeting,

 

[DeadPresident]

But hypothetical question would any United fan take this scenario. In the next week Manchester United sack lvg and announce they have appointed Jose as interm with control over the January transfer window and possible future employment

It would be rank madness, IMO. Mourinho and LvG come from the same school of football. People are complaining about how LvG gets zero entertainment with our heavily limited strike force, while Jose Mourinho manages to take a team with Remy, Fabregas, Costa, Oscar, Willian, Kenedy and Hazard and get them to play barely watchable football for about 12 months.

There's no chance he would be able to improve on what van Gaal is managing without massive capital outlay that would be better left to van Gaal in any case. Not to mention it's clear Mourinho has a very short window of efficiency at a club, and he leaves every club in worse shape than when he arrived. Mourinho is a toxin, people think LvG and his "shyshtem and philosophy" and stubbornness are hard to deal with, wait until Mourinho has a bad run and starts throwing Schweinsteiger and Martial under the bus, etc. We've just had a very, very proximal lesson in just what happens when things aren't going Mourinho's way, it would be lunacy to trade a mild pain in the ass for a patently absurd one.